The china cabinet

I spent most of the day yesterday trying to empty out my china cabinet and get ready for our new wood flooring to be installed and I started thinking about how lucky I am. I have waited 4 years for the flooring I wanted, after pulling up some damaged wood when we first moved in, I am excited. But I was really thinking more about all of the wonderful pieces I have accumulated over the years. I LOVE dishes and when I was on a trip to Paris about four or five years ago, I found out how very much fun it could be to buy beautiful pieces while I was there and bring them home with me. I fell hard for Astier de Villatte and my life has never been the same. Each trip I have taken I have bought pieces and brought them home with me, very carefully. I have a large collection now and although I don't use it as I should, each piece seems to hold a wonderful memory for me. There are many other beautiful pieces in there too but each of these is like a little treasure to me.

As I have been going through emptying out our kitchen and now the china cabinet I have realized something else too, I need to buy only what I love, not what is a good deal or something I may never use. I have donated boxes and boxes of pieces over the last few weeks that have never been used or were still in the original packaging. So this project or combination of projects has given me the jump start I need to spend more wisely and maybe just maybe start using those beautiful pieces I have been sheltering from my loved ones for fear of breakage.

Do you use what you have? Do you save the best dishes and glassware for only special occasions or do you use them everyday?